


Do no harm

by PerriewinkleNerdie



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novels)
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:47:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26954587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerriewinkleNerdie/pseuds/PerriewinkleNerdie
Summary: Claire goes to visit Louise after she's moved to the rehab center.
Relationships: Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart)
Kudos: 12





	Do no harm

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! How are we doing? We got some info this chapter, huh? Not everything was what we expected (yes, Louise, I'm looking at your 'reasons' for leaving), but the chapter, while it definitely could have been better (especially LIs heading in the direction of a committed relationship instead of pulling away, since, you know, MC just almost died? ffs?), but it did have some sort of a nice balance of humor, romance (a bit, i'll give you that pb), medical cases and serious issues.  
> My brain tried to think of a rewrite, but as soon as the chapter ended, my attention was pulled towards the idea of a certain conversation that could potentially happen between C and Louise (I don't see pb doing it, but who knows, it's pb). So here we are :D  
> Enjoy! <3

„You want to do what?” Ethan sighed, leaning against the wall on the far end of the diagnostics office, his arms folded across his chest. Claire smiled timidly, taking a hesitant step in his direction, throwing a quick look over her shoulder to make sure they were truly alone.

“I want to borrow your car.”

“And just why would you need it?” he asked, observing how she stumbled over the explanations. It wasn’t that he didn’t want her to drive his car; she’s done that before, so he knew she’d be safe. “If you need to pick something up, I can drive you.”

“I know, but the store closes in thirty minutes and we can’t both leave the hospital for that long. I’d go by bus, but the books are incredibly heavy. I’ll be back before you know it, I promise.”

His eyes focus on her, on the way she shifts her weight from her right to her left foot, anxiousness rolling off her in waves. Shaking his head, he fished out his car keys from his pocket, handing them to her.

“Please, be careful.” He muttered when the skin of their hands brushed against each other, sending a lone spark up his arm. Claire nodded, a mischievous grin appearing on her face when she dove towards him, kissing him on the lips briefly before retreating quickly, as though she only then remembered their own rule.

“Oops.” She winked at him, then walked out of the office in a great hurry, giving him no time to respond, but plenty of time to process what had happened. With a grin that made him look like a fool, he walked over to the desk and picked up one of the charts, reluctantly going back to work.

\------------

Books that Claire mentioned to Ethan had a very specific name. _Louise Ramsey._ And they just so happened to be in a driving distance, on the path that she dimly remembered from the trip they took not that long ago. She parked the car and turned the engine off, taking a moment to breathe in and out. It wasn’t too late to back out, Ethan’s words ringing in her ear like a warning.

No. She came there for a reason.

The same lady greeted her at the reception, smiling at her insecurely when she remembered how both Ethan and Claire threatened to make the facility close down if they even so much as thought about mistreating their patients.

“How can I help you?” the woman asked, her back a bit straighter. Claire stepped towards the counter, feeling a bit out of place.

“I’m here to see Louise Ramsey?” her voice shook only for a split second and she prayed that the receptionist didn’t notice.

“What’s your name, if I may ask?”

“Clarissa Herondale.”

Nodding, the woman smiled and turned towards the book she had on the desk, checking something that Claire couldn’t possibly know. A moment later she excused herself, picking up the phone and disappearing behind the door leading to the back room, leaving Claire alone with her thoughts. Hesitation began to drip into her mind. She no longer knew if she was doing the right thing. What if she didn’t want to talk to her? What if Ethan got mad at her?

She didn’t have more time to overthink everything, because at this exact moment the receptionist came back, smiling warmly at her. “Please, follow me.”

A short walk along an even shorter hall left her standing in the threshold of Louise’s room, by which point she was left alone. Ethan’s Mother was sitting on her bed, looking out the window in deep contemplation, an open book in her lap. Claire cleared her throat to gain her attention.

“Ms. Ramsey?” she called out, taking a hesitant step and then waiting for the invitation. If she didn’t want to see her, this was the moment she could tell her to go to hell. But that didn’t happen.

Louise’s face lit up in a smile, clearly happy that someone visited her, but surprised that it was her. Closing the book and setting it aside, she sat up. “Dr. Herondale! Please, do come in.”

Claire walked over to her slowly before, finally, sitting down on the chair by the bed. The older woman watched her every move, like she was analyzing her based on the way her feet worked. Sitting a close distance away from one another, Claire could almost see how Louise’s brain tried to work out the situation. She didn’t blame her; the only times they saw each other, besides that one time at the store, was with Ethan by her side. Now, they were alone, and that, if nothing else, was an entirely new territory for both of them.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Louise asked, smiling at the woman that she knew for a fact, held an important place in her son’s life. Ethan most likely didn’t know that she knew, but it was impossible for her not to notice how he acted around the young doctor. If there wasn’t anything between them now, there definitely would be something between them in the future.

“I wanted to check in on you, see how you are settling in.” Claire responded with an unreadable expression. Not giving too much information, prompting questions.

“Does Ethan know you’re here?”

“No. He doesn’t.”

That surprised Louise. In the blank face of Dr. Herondale, she could suddenly see wild determination, like she was on a mission and she’s just found the purpose of it. Her entire posture changed into a straighter and more serious one, but right as the blonde opened her mouth to speak, her gaze turned soft, like she was thinking about something she felt deeply for. It didn’t take a genius to know exactly what, or more specifically, _who_ the young doctor what thinking about.

“You care about him. Ethan. You two are together.” Louise added things up, coming to the only logical conclusion. The blush that immediately appeared on Claire’s cheeks only proved her theory to be correct. “He cares about you too, though I’m sure you already know that. He’s got that look in his eyes.”

Claire let her gaze fall onto her shoes, unsure how she should proceed. They were extremally careful around the hospital, but outside, that caution was nonexistent. For Louise to put the pieces together that fast, it meant that they were either entirely obvious or just so taken with each other that no amount of plotting could hide it.

“Alan thinks so too, by the way.” Louise continued, smiling knowingly at the young woman in front of her. Deciding that she’s made her point clear, she moved back to the subject at hand. “I’m so happy that you came to see me. Ethan visited two days ago, and Alan is here almost every day, but it’s nice to see a new face for a change.”

“I know Ethan visited you. He, uh, he asked me to come with him.” Claire twisted her fingers nervously, confirming further what the older woman already knew.

“Why didn’t you?”

“I thought that you two should have the opportunity to talk alone, so I stayed in the car.”

Louise nodded in understanding, the silence falling between the two women like an itchy blanket that made you more uncomfortable with each passing minute. Something didn’t add up about the situation they were in currently, and someone had to break the ice.

“Why are you here, Dr. Herondale?” she asked, watching the doctor with curiosity. She knew that Ethan didn’t send her there, otherwise he would have known about it. Something else was at play here. Claire’s face morphed from looking mildly unsure to troubled in a matter of seconds.

“One way or another, Ethan is a big part of my life.” she began explaining, unsure how much of her relationship should she let Louise know about. “I’ve been by his side when he learned that you wanted to talk to him again. He was with me that day when we ran into each other in the store.” Louise’s face twisted at the memory of the day she met Claire for the first time, not knowing who she was at the time. “I was with him when you came to the hospital. I don’t want to talk about your reasons for leaving, or about what happened while you were gone. I don’t want you to tell me anything about that, because it’s not me you should be telling that to. It’s Ethan and Mr. Ramsey that should hear it. If Ethan decides that he wants me to know about it, he’ll tell me himself, when he feels ready.”

As she finished the sentence, Claire felt out of breath. Louise’s eyes hardly left hers, observing her with intensity that kicked the air out of her lungs; like she knew something and was waiting for Claire to confirm it. Shaking her head, Ethan’s Mother spoke once more.

“If you’re not here to find out the truth about anything, then why _are_ you here? Without Ethan even knowing?”

The blonde doctor cleared her throat, taking a deep breath to steady and remind herself that this is what she came there for in the first place. “I want… _need_ to hear you say that you won’t hurt him again.” her voice was filled with desperation and the fierce protectiveness was evident in the way she spoke. “He’s been through enough, he doesn’t deserve to fall apart again.”

Louise watched the woman in front of her, speaking about her son with the depth of emotion that made her own heart ache. She’s wasted so many years while being away, hurting him beyond belief, but to see him have someone who wants to take care of him made her smile in relief. He had someone that smoothed out his rough edges and parted the clouds in the sky when they appeared. It’s all she could ever want for him.

“I’ve spent the last ten years thinking how to apologize and wishing I had enough courage to do so.” She tried to assure the younger woman, to no avail it seemed, as the next words that rang in the room were accompanied by a shake of the head that made blonde locks flow gently. Her voice, however, was stern and determined.

“Not what I asked for, Ms. Ramsey.”

“I promise I’m not here to hurt him. That’s the last thing I want.” Louise tried again, knowing that she would have to uncover all the thoughts she had hidden within her mind. “Even if he lets me see only a fraction of who he is, that will be enough.”

Claire considered what was said, then nodded slowly. Her shoulders fell in relief, her face breaking out in a fleeting insecure smile. “I’ve never been that person, to threaten others. Having said that, though, be warned.” She leaned forward a bit, schooling her expression into a serious one again. “If you hurt him, or Alan, you’re going to regret it. Are we clear?”

“Crystal, Dr. Herondale.” With a serious tone, the older woman nodded, understanding that the younger one wasn’t kidding. Claire breathed out deeply, clearly thankful that it was over. She glanced at the clock, her eyes widening in slight horror.

“I really have to go. I took a break from work, and while my boss doesn’t have a problem with that, I should get back to my patients.” She smiled as she said that, shaking her head in mock obviousness. “I promised Ethan I’d be back quickly, and I want to talk to him before my shift picks up again.”

As she stood up from her seat and turned towards the door, Louise spoke up again. “I hope we can talk more, some other time.”

“We’ll see.” Looking over her shoulder, the blonde allowed herself a hint of a melancholic smile. “Take care of yourself.”

\-----------

Ethan was waiting for her to return in the same place she left him two hours prior. Sat on the couch with an article in his hand, he greeted her with a smile that got wider with every step she took towards him. She handed him the keys, standing in front of him in a safe distance. They didn’t say anything at first, the wordless atmosphere eventually getting cut short by Ethan.

“How’s Louise?” he muttered, looking up at her just in time to register her surprise, followed immediately by guilt. His knee nudged hers to reassure her that he wasn’t mad or upset. “The receptionist called me. The only people authorized to visit her are my Dad and I.” he clarified, making her face light up in understanding.

“So, you knew? And you didn’t stop me?”

“I believed you would tell me anyway. Though, I must say, I’m curious about the reason for your trip.” Ethan explained, wrapping one arm around her hips to pull her closer to him. She fell onto the couch with a giggle, trying to break her fall with her hands.

“She’s okay; a bit surprised that I was the one to walk through the door, as you can probably imagine.” She smiled at how a fraction of stress left his body at her words. “I wanted to hear her say it. That she wouldn’t cause you more pain.” Claire told him, muttering after looking at him in silence for a while. Ethan’s gaze softened at her words. “I even threatened her.” she recalled in disbelief, unsure how she managed to do it, given how unlike her it was.

“Is that so?” his smile grew wider, his eyes sneaking a look at the hall outside the office before he allowed himself to display his affection towards her. “My fierce ‘whatever-we-want-to-be’.” He whispered, inching closer to her. Them being in the hospital was the only thing that kept him from moving her into his lap. Instead, he stroked her calf with his foot, the corners of his lips rising higher.

“I don’t think she expected that.”

“I didn’t either.” He nudged her shoulder with his own teasingly. She scoffed, focusing her gaze at him with a mix of seriousness and playfulness.

“Hey, I feel protective of my ‘whatever-we-want-to-be’, okay? No one is hurting you on my watch.” Claire grinned happily, leaning into his touch when he brushed her hair behind her shoulder and kissed her forehead. Ethan smiled to himself at the feeling of warmth that flooded his chest, three words rising to the surface in his mind and almost falling from his lips.


End file.
